Joust
by xxxStarfirexxx
Summary: 5 years later, Wyldon challenges the Lady Knight to a joust. The result is surprising... Kel has improved.


_5 Years Later…_

Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, clad in bright armour and gripping a lance in her sweaty hand, struggled to put her Yamani face back on. _I am a lake, smooth and calm._ Peachblossom, sensing her nerves, pranced until Kel forced her emotions behind a mental wall.

Kel looked across the tilting field to see Lord Wyldon, clad in the same as she, yet another faceless knight among so many others. Atop Windtreader, he looked tall, imposing and strong, a man who had never been defeated in a joust. Her old training master was, as always, alone, with his wife and children in the grandstand.

Simultaneously, they both pumped their lances up and down, signaling that they were ready. A minute later, the trumpet sounded, echoing across the silent field, rising above into the still air. "Charge", she whispered to her faithful mount, the same instant Windtreader took off in a flurry of noise and dust on the opposite side.

She could hear the hooves thundering beneath her, the ground vibrating. Kel felt as if she and her gelding were one, floating, flying towards the lance that was coming straight at her. She lifted the tip of the iron pole to face Wyldon, who was galloping towards her at full speed. Kel could hear the muted gasp as the audience watch, spellbound. Then, Kel felt the lance hit her left arm with the force of a sledgehammer, numbing it until she could barely hold her shield. The second blow came on her right arm, sharp and painful, as Kel realized that her lance had shattered. It took her numbed brain a while to register the fact that his lance, too, had shattered.

Keladry turned back to the starting line to collect a fresh lance. Her whole body was throbbing and Kel decided that two more jousts would kill her. But she lived with death near her, after all. It did not make that much of a difference, killed by Wyldon or the Scanrans, did it?

Kel shook out her arms just like she always did after a painful joust. She faced Lord Wyldon again, and, as the trumpet sounded, she charged straight ahead without hesitation. _If Neal was beside me, he'd say I was being stupid, to joust with the Stump six times in a single day. I guess he does have a point._

The instant before their shields and lances met, the crowds started cheering madly. Most of the younger knights yelled Kel's name, and the conservatives, who had apparently put their dignities aside, called Wyldon's name. Even King Jonathan, Queen Thayet, Prince Roald and Princess Kalasin (who was back for a visit) were smiling and talking among themselves, looking carefree and cheerful for once.

Kel braced herself for the impact. The heavy blow pushed her back against her saddle and stole her breath away. Pain shot up her arms and Kel had to use all her willpower to stay on Peachblossom and keep hold of the shield. Her head felt numb and dizzy, and Peachblossom, who could sense his rider's discomfort, pranced to keep Kel on. He turned and stared at the Lady Knight, as if to say _If you fall, I'll bite you. Hard._

Kel wheeled, or rather, Peachblossom wheeled and Kel stayed on. Nealen of Queenscove's voice rang out, encouraging her in his own unique way. "Youth and skill! Stay on that beast, Protecter!"

Kel winced at her nickname. As she was contemplating ways to shut Neal up, another voice rose above the din. A conservative, who apparently was insulted by Neal, yelled, "Age and treachery!"

Shaking her head at their childishness, Kel accepted another lance, tried to loosen her muscles, and faced Lord Wyldon yet again. This time, as she looked at her old training master, their eyes met briefly. He seemed to be encouraging her, and before she could be sure, he had broken the contact.

With a last yell of "Youth and skill!" ringing in her ears, the first lady knight in over a century headed towards the realm's best jouster. Kel felt her heartbeat slow and the fears in her head were gently pushed away.

Kel lifted her lance, and, with unnatural calm, pointed it right Wyldon's shield. It felt so _right_ with the heavy iron in her hand as she headed at full speed towards the tip of his lance. The bumps disappeared, the dust flying up vanished, the noise of the crowd faded. All that was left was her lance and his shield.

With a heavy thud, they collided into each other. Kel made use of the _rightness_ that she felt, and popped Wyldon's shield up and out. Before her unbelieving eyes, the unbeatable conservative flew out of his saddle, flying through the air as if in slow motion.

Just like she used to fly when Raoul popped her out, she had popped _him_ out. Lord Wyldon landed heavily in a crash of armour. He twisted and fell as all first-year pages were taught to. Kel was so astonished that she barely realized that her trembling arm had let go of her shield and her hands were clinging onto the reins as she struggled to not fall. Peachblossom moved forwards without urging and walked right up to Wyldon.

Kel slid off her faithful horse, leaning on him to keep her balance. Reaching down, she offered her old training master her hand. She winced as she remembered 6 years ago, when their positions had been reversed and she had still been a squire.

The audience was deathly quiet, awed at what the young knight, the _girl_ had managed to do. No one had expected this.

Wyldon looked up at her with a slight smile on his face. He gripped her offered hand and pulled himself up. Using the same emotionless tone he had used to evaluate pages, he murmured, "Well done, Mindelan." With a slightly warmer tone, he continued, "The realm needs more like you, Keladry, no matter their gender."

Wyldon reached out and gripped her shoulder tightly, as if she _was _a male. Then, he turned and led and exhausted Windtreader away, leaving Kel staring after him.

Neal yelled, "Youth and skill!" which started a whole round of cheering and clapping. Kel barely heard. Her mind was still coming to terms with what she had just done.

* * *

><p>In the Divine Realms, the Great Mother Goddess and Mithros watched with a smile on their eternal faces. They watched, as Keladry unhorsed the best jouster in the realm.<p>

In the Mortal Realms, Keladry had attracted much attention by her decision to become a Lady Knight, and it was no different with the gods. They had watched, interested, as she grew up and grew into her skills. As she struggled through her page-hood and squire-ship, as she fought for the right to earn her shield. They made no move to help, to advice, or to teach. They just watched.

The Great Mother Goddes and Mithros knew that, after years of training, Keladry was finally ready to fulfill her destiny. The Chamber of the Ordeal had given her such an apt name. Surely the room had to know about what was in store for her.

They knew, as no mortal had yet realized, that if she survived through everything thrown in her way, Keladry would grow into a legend. That she would survive was obvious to anyone who bothered to look. She had a fighter's spirit, her heart every bit as brave as the Great Mother Goddess' chosen one. Her soul, every bit as pure as Weiryn and Sarra's child.

The Protector of the Small would be as well-known as the other heroes. Her considerable jousting abilities were just part of the enormous potential inside the knight.

Keladry of Mindelan, Lady Knight and Protector of the Small, would stand with the Lioness and the Wildmage, and her name would be echoed throughout generations of stories, songs and legends.

* * *

><p>Keladry bent to pick up her shield, and hobbled slowly towards the starting line, unaware of the Great God's interest in her. As she reached it, her squire rushed up to her.<p>

Squire Alan of Trebond hurriedly ran to his knight-mistress. He quickly pulled her shield off her arm and took Peachblossom's reins. Kel, tired though she was, followed him to the stables and tried to help him groom Peachblossom.

_She had unseated him…_

When he was done, he led her to her tent, and assisted her in taking off her armour, just as she had once helped Lord Raoul. He laid out a set of clean clothes and told her to change, _now._ Smiling weakly, Kel called after him "Yes, mother." Alan turned around, grinned, and went back to his own tent to clean her armour.

_She had unseated him…_

A few hours later, when Kel was clean and fresh, the 'congratulations' started. Apparently, Alan had kept them away from her while she slept, but could no longer do so once he had lost the 'she's sleeping and cannot see you' excuse.

_She had unseated him…_

First her parents, then Neal, her brothers, year-mates, Shinko, and her sisters arrived, all telling her how well she had performed.

_She had unseated him…_

When he finally lost her patience for her new flood of guests, Alan firmly told her to rest and took guard outside her tent, falling back on the excuse that she was sleeping.

_She had unseated him…_

Kel's eyes were beginning to close again when a new visitor arrived. Lord Wyldon entered.

"Lady Knight, I want to congratulate you on winning that joust."

Kel opened her mouth to say something, anything, but he raised a hand to stop her.

Wyldon stood. "Contrary to what the audience might think, that was not mere luck, it was skill. I could feel the strength behind your blows, Lady Knight. You know, if you were born a boy, it would have been so much easier. But I find myself thinking that I prefer it this way." Kel looked at him in surprise. Could he actually be saying that he accepted her, not only as a knight, but as a female?

"A joust tomorrow, Mindelan? To ensure that you will not lose your newfound skill."

Kel nodded, though it sounded more like an order than a question. She knew that her body would be aching and she would be covered in new bruises the next day. The moment Neal found out, he would go into hysterics, saying that the Stump was trying to torture me, Kel thought wryly. Not even Sir Alanna could cure him of _that_ entirely.

"I'm glad I had a hand in your training, Mindelan. You do all of us proud." Before she could say anything, he left the tent.

_She, Keladry of Mindelan, had beaten Lord Wyldon in a joust. She had unseated him, when no one, not even her former knight-master, Lord Raoul the Giantkiller, could._


End file.
